Monday, December 13, 2010

Pay to Play: All this WikiLeaks freedom is a bit of a sham. Any government can, at any moment, pretty much completely control what is on the Internet. The net is not free, nor democratic. If you doubt that, ask the next Chinese visitor you come across. Or American teen who understands how the Internet works. Makes you wonder about the little morality play that's going on, doesn't it.

Is There An Echo In Here? Reprising Barbara Bush at the Astrodome, Sarah Palin found Haitian refugee camps to be “full of joy!”

Clear and Present Danger: There were 13 bankers who ruined the economy. Or was it Alan Greenspan? Or Goldman Sachs. Or, wait, it was derivatives, or the poor folks who took out sub-prime mortgages. Or was it the middle class that used their homes like ATMs? Or maybe it was the voters who wanted more for less, more for less. Got a mirror at your house?

Gather 'round the Campfire: Despite what's going on outside my window, the 2010 meteorological year has turned out to be the warmest on record.

Pride: A survey of 25-34 year-olds in the developed world revealed that in ten countries had higher percentages that had completed high school. The US was the only OECD country where the 25-34 year-olds were not better educated than their parents' generation.

Scrooge: Under the December Compromise, Obama is letting the rich give $5 million gifts with no tax and to pass on $5 million in their estate with no tax and pay just 35% on the loot beyond what they can legally give away and otherwise hide. And for the 35 million service employees in bars, restaurants, retail, dog groomers and such who make under $20,000 a year, Obama has a nice little $400 gift – spread over the entire year. Eight bucks a week. Two lattés.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: The US State Department says that having “political objectives” disqualifies one from being considered a journalist. Don't tell Rush or Mr. Beck.

Golden Rule: If you are continually surprised at the government's bias towards the rich, remember that more than anywhere else, money matters in politics. People on food stamps and unemployment checks cannot match the contributions the rich make to politicians. Unions used to help even the playing field, which explains why business and their Republican hired hands have been dismantling them for 30 years.

Father Forgave Them: Cables show that Ireland gave in to pressure from the Vatican to grant immunity to priests and other church officials after decades of sexually abusing Irish children. Now they’re letting the IMF do it.

The Future of Government: During the last 200 years we have built a very complex, highly interconnected, just-in-time civilization based on abundant cheap energy, without which our economies cannot function. Too bad we've allowed the skills our ancestors had slip away - once the cheap energy fades away it might be handy to know how to yoke up an ox.

Crib Notes: “When anyone starts lecturing you that the US has the highest tax rate in the industrialized world, just turn around, walk away... [he] is either ignorant about this country’s taxation system, or is deliberately trying to mislead you.”

Dogs/Fleas/Lying: In 2008 Hajji Juma Khan captured and brought to NY to face justice under the narco-terrorism law. Well, in that Juma Khan was a longtime informer for the DEA and CIA source, captured might not be the right word. And justice is sometimes a conditional thing.

Once Upon A Time In America: The American Way used to be that the owners built firms where the rest of us worked, wages were enough that the workers could buy the stuff they built, providing profits for the rich. Everyone paid taxes, which the government used to build, maintain and improve the physical and social infrastructure of the nation. That permitted the workers to become more skilled and the owners to make more profit. No longer. Now the rich sit in their gated communities wondering why the poor don't pay more in tribute.

Our Motto

Keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.